Withering Rose
by Yol'Do Vokun
Summary: Ruby doesn't return to Beacon one night. Yang pushes everything aside in her search, but it's hopeless. Until she gets a lead.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This originally started out as my 7th RWBY Relationship week story but the idea was too good to pass up on.**

**A few things to get straight before we start.**

**1: This is largely canon but not completely so, set +2 years on from the events of RWBY Volume 1. **

**2: Rated M /TO BE SAFE/, I'm not saying there's going to be intense descriptions of violence or such, but it's always best to prepare for the future.**

**3: It's a first attempt at writing something a little darker and more mature than what I usually do, so it should improve with time.**

* * *

It had been days since the girl had gone missing. She simply didn't come back one night, and though the police were searching for her they were totally incompetent. They wouldn't know where to look if they were given a flashing neon sign. No, if she were to be found it would be by someone who knew her, someone who knew where she would go and what she would do.

Yang held her head in her hands, biting back a growl of frustration. All of her free time had been spent searching and even her classes were being skipped in favour of her task. She looked upwards to the commanding yet caring voice beside her, obvious anger riddled in her eyes.

"Miss Xiao Long, I believe I have some information to the whereabouts of your sister. Follow me." She obeyed without question, cold determination keeping the flicker of hope at bay.

Professor Ozpin showed her to his office, and much to her surprise there was someone else already there. Black hair gave way to yellow eyes as the person turned at the sounds behind them, and Yang found herself looking at her partner and friend, Blake Belladonna.

The quiet girl gave a small smile, though she knew Yangs situation was increasingly dire. She watched as the blonde took a seat beside her, body language screaming immense irritation. Ozpin silently seated himself in front of the two girls, addressing them respectfully and politely.

"Miss Belladonna, Miss Xiao Long. As you are both aware I am doing everything in my powers to locate Miss Rose, and I have it on excellent authority that I know where she is."

Yang visibly tensed in her seat, leaning forwards as she gripped the arms of her chair. Blake gave a slight nod at the mention of Ruby, well aware of how much her disappearance was affecting her team.

"Are you famliar with the building run by a man called ' '?" The headmaster asked, learning the answer just by watching their facial expressions. Yang sunk back in her seat, the name meaning nothing to her, though Blake gave a nod, attracting her partners attention.

"Yes, it's a night club on the fringes of the Residential District, bordering one of the rivers that separate it from the Industrial District. Why?" Blake replied, earning an impressed twinkle in Ozpins eyes. He hardened his tone for his next request, something that did not escape either of the girls attention.

"That is where I believe Miss Rose is being held."

"Held?!" Yang interrupted, placing her hands firmly on his desk as she half-rose out of her seat.

"Calm down, Miss Long. I have researched the Xiong family and this man, though the youngest of his brothers is still a dangerous person. If I cannot trust you to approach this correctly then I'm afraid Miss Belladonna will have to rescue your sister alone."

Blake kept her face blank as she watched Yang glance between her and Professor Ozpin, her voice slightly cracked.

"Wha-Blake?! Rescuing Ruby? Without me!?"

"I'm not going to ask you again." His stern tone seemed to break through her frantic mindset as she fell back in her seat and took a deep breath, resting her hands on her lap in defeat. Blake caught her clenched fists out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing.

"As Miss Belladonna knows the location of this 'night club', I'm entrusting the rescue of Miss Rose to you two. I would have invited Miss Schnee here to join you but as you well know, her reaction to Miss Rose's disappearance was not what any of us were expecting. Mr. Xiong and his company will not be expecting two individuals, but the small army that Miss Schnee proposed to storm the offenders residence with would most likely alert them to your presence."

He left his sentence there, allowing his words to sink in before continuing.

"This is a very delicate operation Miss Long, and I'm sure you know better than anyone that certain rules need to be followed if you wish to see your sister tonight." Yang almost threatened the headmaster there and then, but the soundless movement of Blake gently touching Yangs fist stopped her from doing something she would regret.

"You will arrive, you will exercise extreme caution as we do not know just what is capable of and you will keep an open link to me and Ms. Goodwitch at all times. Do I make myself clear?"

Blake nodded once, followed by a mumbled 'Yes sir.' from Yang.

"Now, do you need transportation?" He asked, catching the fire lighting up in Yangs eyes that told him everything he needed to know. She shook her head, instead asking him for permission to enter the storage facility. While her request was a little odd given the circumstances, both Blake and Ozpin knew that she wouldn't ask such a thing unless she needed to. He nodded, and as she darted out of the room Blake thanked him once and made after her partner, leaving the headmaster to make the necessary preparations.

* * *

"Yang, I have to ask... why are we here?" Blakes voice echoed across the enormous room, filled to the brim with a dizzying variety of objects ranging from a curious looking bear-trap like contraption to what she could only assume was at one point a coffee machine.

"Because." Yang began, whirling around to face her partner as she stepped backwards, a very familiar grin spreading across her features. Blake could tell where this was going, it was the same grin she had used when she was told she could store her things at the Academy. "This is where my, and consequently our, ride is stored."

Blake followed the blonde further into the facility with a growing interest, but she kept quiet right until the moment she laid eyes on the distinct shape underneath a white sheet. Just how long had this been here?

"Is that...what I think it is?" She asked, mouth slightly agape.

"Yep!" Yang replied, pulling the material off and throwing it to the side as she took a step back and admired her prized possession. Blake had no words.

* * *

Blake still didn't have any words an hour later as she hesitantly slid behind her partner and locked her arms around Yangs waist, unused to the strange feeling of a helmet wrapped over her head. She took the headgear with a polite smile, noticing the dark grey tribal-style emblems decorating it - a counterpart to Yangs own Yellow and Black attire. She had been told they were racing helmets due to the speed Yang could, and regularly did achieve but this offered very little in the way of comfort to her.

"Uh, Yang?" Blake asked, a little surprised at the doubly muffled response she received.

"Yes Blake?" Yang replied, just before the din of revs filled her ears.

"How fast are we going to be going?" Blake shouted over the noise, while it was by no means soothing it wasn't quite as ear-piercing as she expected it to be.

"Depending on how well you cope with motion sickness, at least 120."

This didn't help.

"One hundred and twenty...what? Miles per hour?" Blake couldn't keep the nervous edge out of her voice, and it seems that Yang couldn't keep the happy one out of hers, giggling to herself before answering.

"Yeap! But I'm aiming to get there as fast as possible, so if you give the most direct route there we might be able to hit 150."

Blake very nearly gave her misinformation but chose Ruby over personal safety, and with Yang having inputted the route into her GPS she gave Blake one final warning to hold on tight, spoke into her in-built headset and began to rev the engine again as the storage door slowly angled upwards.

Blake was caught completely off-guard by the sheer force pushing against her body as Yang accelerated out of the Academy, counting numbers in her head and nailing each gearchange to match the manic drone of the engine. Yang could tell already that while she would enjoy the journey, Blake would despise it with all her might.

* * *

The moon hung over the cloudy sky, not quite vanishing from sight as they passed over its surface.

Yang felt distinctly refreshed as she rested her helmet on the seat of her bike, though she was always aware of the sickening feeling that lay in the bottom of her stomach - a reminder of the magnitude of the next few hours. Blake too pulled her helmet off without any trouble, shooting Yang one of the dirtiest looks she had made in a long time. It elicited another giggle from the blonde, pointing out that even though this was an incredibly serious time she still had a sense of humour about her. Even if it was just to take her mind of things.

The two of them decided on parking the bike a good distance away from the club and approaching on foot, to which they did. They both took a good look around before making for the front entrance, noting the single guard perched next to the door. Yang leant in to Blakes ear and whispered as they walked, prompting an eye roll from the other girl.

"I'll handle this, stay back a little."

Blake obliged, deciding that ten feet was a safe distance as Yang put a swing in her step, striding up to the man and grabbing his attention the best way she knew how. While Blake couldn't quite hear what false promises she was giving him, they appeared to be working as after a minute or two she was beckoned over and they were given entry.

The main corridor was dark, the walls pitch-black. Blake could hear a faint pounding coming from deeper inside and guessed that tonight was a busy night. She exchanged glances with her partner and spoke quietly, aware that they were alone in the hallway.

"What did you say to him?" Yang flashed a grin and pointed rather unsubtly to her chest.

"When you've got these you can get away with pretty much anything. He _thinks_ he's gonna get a nice evening and perhaps something extra." Blake was amused at the bluntness Yang displayed.

"But..." She waited for the finish of that sentence, knowing that Yang had no interest in the things she claimed to like.

"Buuuut he's just going to get a few broken bones. And depending on how nice I'm feeling he might still be able to have children, but that's up for debate."

She gave Blake another cocky grin to which the girl returned, her attention going back to the job in hand at reading the determination in her partners eyes. This wasn't a pleasant outing for letting their hair down, though this did seem like the kind of place Yang would frequent. They were here for one reason and one reason only, and as the music grew louder they discussed their plan in a hushed whisper to avoid being heard.

The doors opened by themselves, a curious mechanism that most likely ran on motion sensors. The two of them paused to take in the sight, a little surprised at what they saw.

The room was enormous, easily spanning a street or two. There was a bar in the left corner that stretched for half the length, populated by a dozen people ordering drinks. Numerous glass pillars joined the floor to the ceiling, which was filled to the brim with rotating flashlights that pulsed red and white. And while there were a dual flight of stairs running left and right to the dancefloor below Yang immediately honed in on the DJ situated across the room. Black suit, red tie, black bear head. Yang hated bears.

Blake meanwhile took in the large amount of people in the center of the room, a whirring hive of activity as they danced to the music that boomed across the open air from massive speakers integrated into the walls. She glanced around, taking in the thin lines of glowing lights that stretched across the walls. Seeing no particular entry or exit points besides the one they had just came from, she guessed that fire exits and such would be out of sight. A distinct white blur in the corner of her eye caught her attention and as she turned her head to look, she gently dragged Yangs focus to what she was seeing.

Blake still gripped Yangs arm to hold her back at the all-too-familiar sight of a one Roman Torchwick, currently in a heated debate with a tall and muscular man, crisp black vest contrasting with the white shirt he wore underneath. Yang wanted to hurl herself at them right then but she knew better, and as the fire began to build in her eyes again Blake moved to block her view, instead giving her only amber orbs that ran deep with empathy to stare into. They spoke where Blake didn't need to, reassuring Yang that the time would come when she could beat the everloving dust out of Roman Torchwick. But that time wasn't now. They had more important things to worry about.

The two waited patiently for the men to break up their argument, with Roman strutting off underneath their vantage point and leaving the other man - who by this point they had both decided was probably Junior Xiong - noticeably agitated. Blake led them down the stairs towards the bar, silently ordering Yang to let her do the talking this time and more importantly to keep calm. Though Yang felt this was a waste of time, her preferred method of beating everyone up wouldn't get them very many answers.

Blake cleared her throat softly over the ridiculously loud music, grabbing Juniors attention. At first his body language was dismissive, though it rapidly changed from surprise to false respect, no doubt assuming them to be new customers. Yang certainly looked older than she was, and though Blake never agreed with her partner she too didn't look to be 19, a fact that came in handy in situations such as this. Any businesslike thoughts they previously had of him were wiped clean as soon as he spoke, obvious interest written in his voice. It didn't take a genius to tell what he was thinking.

"Well ladies, new here? I can help you get settled in, how do you take your drinks?" His voice was gruff, and as he waited for their answers Yang looked him up and down, making a mental note to certainly crush his manhood if she ever got the chance. Blake was polite as she refused his offer, though she dropped a faint hint of flirtatiousness into her voice, a fact which came as a bit of a shock to her partner.

"No thank you, we just arrived and I can't take drinks before I've settled in. With that said, your offer is very tempting, Mr...?" She hid her disgust behind a facade of teasing, smiling mentally at how easy he was being hooked.

"Uh, Xiong. Junior Xiong. I own and run this club. And you are?"

They exchanged brief glances, with Blake answering first and Yang following up with a short answer.

"I'm Blake."

"Yang."

He waited for last names, but as the seconds passed he quickly realized that he wasn't going to get them. Blake very gently but expertly steered the conversation towards Ruby, though she was far too clever to ask outright.

"Tell me Junior, do you have anywhere we could talk? Privately?"

She left the implications behind that up in the air, sure that he would assume - wrongly - that they were interested in him or perhaps his business. He took a second to think and gestured for them to follow him, leading the way towards the stairs that they had descended a few minutes prior. Now that Blake could see, the area underneath them was hollow, with several doors lined up that led to rooms underneath the long corridor between the entrance and the actual club. This must have been the back of the building.

Junior opened the rightmost door and held it aside for them to enter, and while Blake moved through silently Yang decided to pique his interest even more as she slipped him a brief wink that promised a little more than just professional talk. He fell for the bait instantly, and she caught his perverted grin as she brushed past him. The two took his offer to sit on one of the black leather couches that lined two of the walls while he sat in the other, reaching for the glasses and bottle that currently resided on the small glass table in the center of the room.

"Junior, would I be right in assuming that you're smarter than most?" Blake asked, with Yang initially not understanding her partners logic. It became clear the second Junior spoke, the man was practically sweating arrogance.

"I don't like to brag but it has to be said that I do know everything." He replied, puffing out his chest in an effort to make himself look important. It was pitiful.

"Oh?" Blake inquired, knowing that she had to tread gently now she had broken his paper thin defenses. "Is that so?"

Junior nodded pridefully and took a small drink of his alcohol. Neither of them paid it any heed but the drunker he was the more likely he would be to give up information willingly. It seemed that both Yang and Blake had had the same idea, and while Blake skillfully beefed the man up Yang took to pouring herself a drink, shooting Blake a sly wink as she did so.

Time passed and though Junior was growing less and less of a risk Yang knew she could hold the bitter taste in her mouth for her sister. It took an immense amount of willpower there and then to prevent her from kicking him in the face and tearing his precious club apart, but she trusted Blake and could see that it was getting results.

Junior was increasingly intoxicated, to the point where Yang could have blown on him and he would have fallen over. She exchanged a stare with Blake, and they both decided that this was the time to strike.

"Well then Mr. Junior, I've got a question for you..." Blake dripped allure into her voice, something that Yang found to be strangely appealing even though she knew it was false.

"What do you know about little girls in red capes?" He paused, considering her question with his drunken mind.

"Y'mean Lill Rred Ridin Hood?" He replied, causing Blake to shake her head slowly and lean forward.

"No, she carries a scythe." At this point Blake was sure she could be reasonably straight, but it was always a good idea to play it safe.

There was another pause, and Yang visibly flinched at the name.

"There was a girl...said 'er name was...uh..what wassit now. Ruben? No, thass not right, eeh..."

"Ruby?" Blake suggested, smiling politely as he nodded. "Ruby Rose. Do you know her?"

"I don't know 'er personally of course but...I was told to hold the girl 'ere until whats 'isname came to take 'er away." He slammed his glass onto the table and shakily stood up, while Blake hurriedly rose to her feet to stop Yang from punching him in the face.

"And where is she now? We're associates of Roman." It hurt her to even lie about it, but it was a safe assumption that he was the man who would be after someone like Ruby - especially after their previous engagements.

"She's downstairs in th' basement. I 'ave a key around here somewherr..." He began to fumble in his pockets, and upon hearing the distinct clinking of keys Blake gave Yang the all clear and excused herself from the room, telling the drunken man that Yang would collect the keys and pay him for his co-operation. As she turned to close the door she caught him staring at her partners assets and gave a tiny smirk. The poor man had no idea what he was in for.

Blake leant slightly against the door, casually glancing from side to side as she listened to the ruckus behind her. Amongst glass shattering and frantic yelps from Junior she could make out the words 'beat' 'pulp' and 'manhood' coming from her partner. And then the thuds started. Blake could practically envision the scene that was unfolding inside the room and it was a glorious sight to her mind.

Junior tripped over his own feet and fell backwards into the one couch that remained where it had been earlier. He was sweating profusely and sporting a freshly reddening bruise over his eye, frantically scrabbling at Yangs muscular arm as she grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him clean off the ground. Had he been sober his strength might have evened the battle out, but heavy as he was the man wasn't putting his weight where it needed to be. Not that Yang gave him any choice, spinning on the spot to use her momentum to hurl him across the room, smashing the last piece of untouched glass in there.

Even though he was a head taller than her, Yang strode over and stood him up against the wall as though he were a featherweight, delivering another punch to his frankly revolting face that sent saliva flying everywhere. She tossed him around like a ragdoll, pummeling him harder and harder as she vented her anger on the next best thing to Roman Torchwick, grinning gleefully all the while. The final straw for her came when, in a last-ditch attempt to accomplish something of his rapidly deteriorating evening Junior flung his arm in the vague direction of her chest. She caught his arm in one hand and resisted the urge to tease him about it, instead allowing her rage to do the talking. The distinct cracking of bones was like music to her ears as it accompanied Juniors pained groans at his slow loss of fingers, one by one. The sickening cracks bouncing off the walls, serving as a reminder of his fatal mistake. She pulled his face within a hairs breadth of her own and whispered threateningly into his ear, deranged grin enhancing her insane profile.

"You shouldn't have let your lusts cloud your judgement. This is what you get for being a dirty, old, man." And with that, she shoved him back and simultaneously brought her leg upwards, connecting the toes of her boot with his crotch in an extremely satisfying display of pain. He keeled over on the ground curled up, drunkenly trying to nurse his broken hand and crushed groin as Yang stepped over him, 'accidentally' standing on his remaining good arm as she did so.

Blake instinctively moved a step to the side as she heard the door opening behind her and turned to look at her partner. Yang didn't have a hair out of place, not that it was ever in place to begin with. Blake pointed with her eyes to the blood on her partners knuckles, to which Yang stuffed them into her jacket pockets.

"Well?" Blake asked, both asking if Yang was finished with him and if he'd got what he deserved. The devious grin told her everything she needed to know.

"Let's just say he won't be flirting with nineteen year olds, or indeed anybody for a long time." She made a breaking motion with her hands to which Blake winced.

Yangs expression hardened again as Blake brought up the subject at hand. Yang thoroughly enjoyed beating Junior almost to death, as the scumbag deserved it. But now came the truly hard part. Sooner or later someone would open that door and find him like that, all she and Blake had to do was take Ruby before that happened. The click told otherwise. Yang raised an eyebrow at watching Blake lock the door, shooting the blonde a wink that she found incredibly attractive.

Blake turned a half circle and made for a flight of stairs that ran underneath the ones above, no doubt towards the basement of the club and where their target was located. Yang followed her calmly, though her heart tightened in her chest and her hands turned into fists. She had taken her fury out on the man who was holding her, but not the man who had ordered it in the first place.

They were getting close, she could feel it.


	2. Chapter 2

"Xiong has been taken care of, we're moving to retrieve Ruby now."

"Affirmative, Miss Belladonna. Keep us posted."

Blake nodded to her partner as they descended the flight of stairs two at a time, the plain black walls lending a sense of foreboding that neither Blake nor Yang could ignore. For the blonde it was reminding her that she didn't have her sister safe, not quite yet. They had made immense progress but it wasn't enough for her, she wouldn't rest until she had Ruby in her arms completely safe. For Blake, the lengthy descent only served to build upon her initial doubts of their mission, especially after they had seen Roman Torchwick sauntering down this very stairwell. Yang didn't catch it, but Blake heard the telling taps fade away behind the music that told her more than she would have otherwise learned.

She daren't say anything to Yang, not yet, but she couldn't shift the feeling that it wouldn't be as easy as it seemed. Junior had been almost too willing to give up his information, even with the aid of stupid amounts of alcohol and lust surging through his system. The fact that he openly admitted to holding Ruby here didn't help to ease Blakes worries, it had quite the opposite effect. Why would someone like Junior be holding a huntress in training for someone like Torchwick? No amount of Lien would warrant putting you in the path of the best academy in the whole region, not least because it would set you square in the sights of a man like Professor Ozpin.

To invoke his wrath was the equivalent of jumping off a building. You would be left with nothing, as everything you once owned would either be destroyed or taken away from you. He held the real power in Vale, and although not many realized it he had the largest say in many of the matters that pass over the citizens heads every day. She was glad to have him on her side, and counted herself fortunate to be accepted into Beacon when she applied. The thought of another year living in that hell was not one she enjoyed thinking about.

They rounded the final bend in the stairs and found themselves walking out into what appeared to be a garage-type building, the large number of cars and bikes scattered around the wide area certainly seemed to lend it that feel. Yang cast her eyes across all manner of metals, from the sleek bodywork of supercars to the understated cliche black limos that hid a curious amount of bikes.

"Are you sure this is the basement?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at her partner. Blake flicked the keyring around her finger and clicked her tongue, clearly thinking the same thing.

"Yes. This is the key that opened the door, and where else would you put a basement?"

Yang shrugged, slowly making her way across the shining floor with Blake in tow. There didn't seem to be any exits that were obvious, but the thin square pillars that ran to the ceiling made the room feel strangely long, almost unnaturally so.

"Wait, that door you unlocked was directly underneath the entrance to the club, right?"

Blake nodded.

"And we've come out facing the actual entrance, so if we go in the same direction the stairs were pointing, we're walking underneath the long corridor."

Blake blinked, curious to see where Yang was going with this.

"Didn't you see the slope to the left of the main door? I bet you any amount of money that slope leads to the outside." She took a second to look around, standing on her tiptoes to crane her neck over the cars and pointed to the gap between the walls to their right, barely noticeable amongst the vehicles that obscured their view. Blake watched perplexed as Yang poked her head around the corner and stuck her the thumbs up, prompting the dark-haired girl to investigate herself. She was right, they had a lovely view of the night sky between the guards that patrolled their escape route. Blake gave an impressed smile with her eyes, causing a smug one to erupt onto Yangs face.

They both stopped dead in their tracks at the voice behind them, with Yang whirling round to face the owner head on in a contrast to her partner. Blake turned her head but not her body, aware of the faint timidity that laced the sound.

"Who are you? Do you know that this is private property?"

A girl not much older than they were stood several feet before them, her arms hanging by the sides of a dark red dress that was fringed by a black lining that matched the fur hanging off her shoulders. Her eyes were green and her hair black, in a contrast to the knee-length red boots she wore. Clearly, she wasn't a goon.

Even before Blake could work her verbal magic she was followed up by a much more arrogant remark, erasing any hope of negotiations.

"And that means you're trespassing. You better have a good reason for being here, otherwise we'll have to teach you a lesson." This girl stood a little taller than the first, though her attire was icy blue in colour. She too wore a strapless dress and knee-high boots, though Blake caught the bladed heels tapping against the floor as she stood beside her acquaintance. They weren't here to talk.

Blake held Yang back with a silent glance, catching the blondes tension before she could act on it. She kept her voice level and nonthreatening, wishing to avoid conflict if at all possible. The longer they spent here the longer it took for them to get to Ruby, and Blake knew that Yang would only grow more agitated the more she was away from her sister.

"Official business. We're with Roman Torchwick. was kind enough to give us access to a vehicle to escort him." She held up the keys for them to view and awaited a response, watching quietly as they shared a glance.

"So that's the same key that was used to lock his door." The more aggressive girl replied, folding her arms across her chest to show her doubt. Blake gave a half smile, her heart speeding up with the tension.

"When a man wants some alone time, we give it to him." She gave a gesture with her eyes to Yang, catching their own brief stares as they comprehended what Blake was subtly referring to. One pair of eyebrows raised in surprise while the other frowned a little.

Yang kept quiet, knowing better than to open her mouth when Blake was treading over dangerous ground. Those decorative wrist attachments the smaller girl wore didn't look as harmless as they first appeared, a fact which reminded her of her own weapons. She kept her hands resting on her hips, silently proud of the way her partner was handling an otherwise bleak confrontation, especially considering it seemed to be going their way.

"We've been told to pick up a girl, known as 'Ruby Rose'. Do you perhaps know where we can find her?"

Blake felt Yang stiffen behind her and slid her hand into her partners for reassurance, keeping her face level despite her nerves. She listened intently as they shared whispers, catching their names as they did so. The bolder one of the two was named Melanie, while her assumed sister was called Militia. She decided that she could use the knowledge to her advantage, giving a mock smile of gratitude as they turned hesitantly to lead the two back the way they had came.

Their heels clacked against the floor with every step, in contrast to the muffled thuds of Yangs boots and quiet taps of Blakes own footwear. They all walked in silence, although Yang was getting increasingly agitated with the lack of progress. Blake was the only thing keeping her subdued, otherwise nothing down here would survive her anger.

It only took a minute for the two huntresses to be stood in front of a single black door at the opposite end of the basement. Melanie stood to one side while Militia stayed on the other. She nodded to the door and watched with obvious displeasure as Yang pushed it open and entered the room, while Blake flashed her a false smile as she passed. The room itself was very simple, dark grey walls to match the black floor and single wooden chair that lay askew in the center of the room. Yang took a second to let her eyes adjust to the gloom, with the only light in the ceiling being turned off, and no visible light switch to turn it back on.

Blake caught it first, the faint but noticeable whimpering coming from the farthest right corner drifted to her ears. She directed her attention that way, to where a small figure was hunched into a ball. The distinctive red cape hung loosely off her shoulders as Ruby cried into her knees endlessly, her breaths ragged between the sobs she managed to let out between her arms. Blake tapped Yang on the shoulder and pointed, but made sure to have a firm grip on the blondes arm beforehand.

Sure enough, as soon as Yang understood just what she was looking at her instincts took over and she bolted for her sister, only to be held back by Blake. She was about to explode in anger but the severity of Blakes expression quelled it before she blew her top. Blake gave a silent nod back towards the door in a reference to the two girls who were more than likely still waiting outside, and as much as it frustrated Yang she knew that her partner was right. She took a deep breath and strode over to her sister, tapping her on the shoulder, rapidly grabbing the back of her head and pulling the younger girl into a hug that stifled the beginnings of her ecstatic cry.

She felt the tears well up in the corners of her eyes rapidly as she held Ruby close, relief and happiness washing over her in waves. She couldn't help but choke back a laugh, unable to stop her grin from spreading ear to ear. Ruby responded to her sisters tight embrace with a grip of her own, clinging to Yang like a terrified child. Blake watched them in silence, a warm smile playing across her lips. It was incredibly heartening to see them reunited after the week they had spent apart, and now finally she could rest easy knowing that Yang wasn't driving herself to ruin in her search. Blake turned her head at the muffled sound from outside and shot a glance at Yang, conveying her thoughts with her eyes.

The blonde understood immediately and pulled Ruby out from her chest, feeling her heart break a little as the girl tried to cling to her body even harder. She shook Ruby once to get her attention and held her at arms length, staring into the pained silver eyes that she loved so much. Yang held a finger to her lips and gave the girl a wink that could only mean one thing.

'_Just play along._'

In the next second Yang had stood up, grabbed Ruby by the scruff of her clothes and held her off the ground by the back of her neck and painted her face grim. Her eyes darted sideways to the two girls who stood outside the doorway, waiting. Blake gestured for Yang to move first, watching as the she physically dragged Ruby across the floor, the distressed girls tears dripping onto her clothes as she struggled to breath against the force on her neck. Her hands scrabbled feebly at her collar as she fought for air, but Yang didn't give her any time to move. It hurt her to be doing this to her sister, but she knew that they wouldn't get out of this otherwise.

Blake kept her face blank as she passed Melanie and Militia, fighting the urge to take them down a peg or two right there. It hurt her to see Ruby in this manner, and even though she knew it was only a ruse it was still hurting them both, physically and mentally. They were all silent bar the pathetic cries that died in Rubys throat, a pitiful sound that hurt Blake to even hear it.

Yang led them to a spot behind one of the limousines at the far end of the basement well out of the line of sight of anyone and propped Ruby up beside the metal, kneeling down to embrace her sister in a hug that screamed emotion. Ruby returned it tenfold, clinging to Yangs shoulders with a frightened fervor as she emptied what remained of her tears into her sisters clothes. Yang let her own tears fall freely, simply glad to have Ruby back in her arms. Not caring about anything else for this embrace, she was all too aware that they were by no means safe, but all that mattered to her at this moment was the one person she called family in her arms, their holds locking them in place like statues.

Blake kept a careful eye out for any threats, but in the minutes that passed nothing happened except Yang breaking their hold. She caressed Rubys cheek in her hand and touched their foreheads together, reassuring her sister in breathless whispers. Ruby was too exhausted to respond with words, only able to nod through her dizzying sea of emotions and bite back the tears as best she could. Yang took a glance at Blake and nodded, turning to Ruby and giving her a brief explanation of the situation. Ruby took a second to acknowledge what she would have to do and stood up shakily,clinging to Yang for support. Blake spoke into her earpiece quietly, their position putting her on edge.

"Ruby is with us. Preparing to leave."

"Affirmative Miss Belladonna, we expect your arrival in two hours." There was a pause, with Glyndas voice taking a slightly softer tone towards the end. "Stay safe."

The line muted and Blake moved to the entrance they had been at prior, ordering Yang and Ruby to stay low as she dealt with the obstacles that blocked their escape. She dropped into a crouch and inched her way up the ramp, timing her movements with their footfalls in order to stay hidden. The moon was on her side, casting shadows across her path that allowed her to vanish completely from sight. It only took her a few seconds to get into position, counting her heartbeats before she struck.

'Three.'

A shadow passed her line of sight.

'Two.'

Another footstep.

'One.'

The limb appeared in her vision, and no sooner had it made contact with the floor than it was pulled violently backwards, the mans cry of pain being cut off as he was jerked into the shadows. Blake pulled Gambol Shroud from his chest and rammed it into his neck, feeling no remorse or pity for the henchman as she took his life. Maybe she would have years ago, but she had learned the hard way to be utterly cold in her murder. She retrieved his own earpiece and slit it open with the tip of her blade, rendering the item useless.

Another few seconds, and another countdown followed before the second patrolling guard was silently assassinated, his body falling to the floor helplessly as she clutched his throat in a pathetic attempt to stem the flow of blood. This left one, who would see the corpse and go to raise the alarm. Blake was counting on it. She could already hear the rhythm of footfalls to her right, behind the wall and estimated it would only be six seconds before she could give Yang the all clear and they could get out of here.

'Thud. Thud. Thud...Sssshlick. Whump. Whump.'

She dragged the torso into the shade and pulled the lower half down after it, careful to keep her hands clean of the blood and vital juices that stained the concrete. Intestines trailed behind the body and though Blake mused that maybe slicing him in half was a little overkill, she didn't care. She took a minute to make sure the coast was clear and once satisfied, returned underneath to her partner and leader, giving them an understated thumbs up that Yang correctly interpreted as '_Violent, but safe._'

The blonde ushered Ruby out first, reminding her sister that she may have to drag her by the throat again if she had to. Ruby nodded determinedly and kept behind Yang, holding onto her hand tightly. Blake brought up the rear and guided the two to safety, darting into the cover of an alleyway before they were spotted. They spent a minute gathering themselves before Blake took the lead, guiding them back towards where Yang had parked Bumblebee. They moved in silence, with the only sound being Rubys sniffs as she was beginning to recover from her ordeal.

Another five minutes and they arrived at their destination, with Yang gently pushing Ruby onto the middle of the seat with her hands as the seventeen-year-old settled into the material. Yang made sure her sister was comfortable first and gave Ruby her own yellow helmet, insisting that she'd be fine without it. Blake mounted up behind Ruby, forcing Yang to wear her own black helmet with a single stare. Yang didn't protest, deeming it trivial in the grand scheme of things. She took her place at the front of the bike and checked to make sure they were all secure before quietly turning it around and pushing it towards the street with her feet, not wishing to risk drawing attention to them with the engine just yet.

Blake checked behind her to see two figures moving towards the bodies, smiling at the knowledge they were about to find something more than just brainless henchmen. She hunkered down and placed the side of her face against Rubys back, linking her arms around the girls waist in the same way Ruby had done to Yang as the blonde revved the engine and accelerated onto the street, leaving the dust and filth of the asphalt behind them as they raced towards Beacon.

Just before it was lost to the drone of the speed Blake caught the cries behind her and let a single, sadistic smirk dance across her face.


End file.
